Like many aspects of our technological world, the way we light our spaces has changed drastically over the years. The simple, standard incandescent light bulb has evolved into more energy-efficient lighting solutions with varying tones and shades. Because there are so many ways to light your projects, there are ways to measure different aspects of those lights, like lumens.
How bright is a lumen? Read on to learn about this unit of measurement and how you can use it to choose a lighting solution for your next project.
What Are Lumens?
Lumens are a unit of measurement that determines how bright a lightbulb or lighting fixture is. It measures the light produced by a light source, or in other words, lumens equals brightness! This measurement is the key to choosing the correct lighting for your indoor or outdoor projects.
Because there are so many variations of lighting and how light is emitted, they now are available with tools like a Lighting Facts chart. This useful tool will give you information about the product, like brightness in lumens, life expectancy of the bulb, energy use, and other information.
How Bright Are Lumens?
How bright is a lumen? To put it simply, more lumens equals a brighter light. Each lumen emits about the same amount of light as a single candle.
Lumens vs. Watts
In the past, we used to use watts to determine the brightness of light. However, the way lights are manufactured has changed since then. Watts simply measures the energy being used, which can be different depending on the type of light in question, which can be brighter or dimmer than other types.
Thus, we needed a new way to describe and measure our sources of light.
Watts measure energy usage, not brightness (or light output). New, innovative lights like LEDs can produce more light than traditional incandescent light sources but use less energy to do so. The lumen offers a more accurate way to measure light output than watts.
If you’re used to watts, don’t fear change! You can use this lumens brightness scale to determine the amount of lumens you can look for based on the wattage you would normally buy in incandescent light sources:
- 100 W = 1600 Lumens
- 75 W = 1100 Lumens
- 60 W = 800 Lumens
- 40 W = 450 Lumens
These numbers will, of course, vary depending on the age of the light source, the manufacturer, and other factors regarding their condition.
Using Kelvins when choosing lighting
Another factor you can use to choose the best lighting is Kelvins. This measurement tells you the color a light will emit. You can use a color temperature chart to chose the best lighting for your space, but here’s an example of how Kelvins are broken down:
- 2700-3500K emit a warm, yellow light
- 3600-4400K emits a neutral, white light
- 4500-6000K emits a cool, blueish light
A higher amount of Kelvins, around 5000K and up, is closer to the tone of natural daylight. This is important to consider when lighting an indoor or outdoor space.
So, when choosing lights for your project, it’s best to consider all these factors:
- Lumens to determine the brightness
- Kelvins to determine the color and tone of the light emitted
- Watts to determine energy usage
Work with the Lighting and Site Amenities Experts
The experts at Nevada Sales Agency are knowledgeable of the best solutions you should use for your upcoming projects. Take a look at our gallery of lighting projects to see examples of our work in the past. Then, contact our team to get started on your next project today.
